Pour Into These Friendly Ears Whatsoever You Will

Here we are, you and I, and I hope a third, Christ, is in our midst….Come now, beloved, open your heart, and pour into these friendly ears whatsoever you will, and let us accept gracefully the boon of this place, time, and leisure.- Aelred of Rievaulx, 12th Century

All week we've been thinking about being vulnerable and taking risks to be authentic with others. Today we turn the tables on ourselves to reflect on whether we're safe people for others to be vulnerable with.

The old saint, Aelred, makes plain what the apostle James is getting at when he writes, "Everyone should be quick to listen" (James 1:19). How about you - are you quick to listen? Are your ears 'friendly' - willing to hear whatever someone needs to share with you? Are you aware when someone needs to unburden their heart onto you that there is 'a third, Christ' in your midst?

Pray today about becoming more and more the kind of person who is safe for others to pour out their souls to.